New Friends, New Adventures
by Breakawayfan
Summary: As Ash and his friends prepare to enter the World Tournament Junior Cup, they meet two trainers who hail from Kanto, causing Ash to spark a sense of kindred with them. He also notices that he has quite a few things in common with one of the new arrivals. Eventual Pokeshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Bold=Pokémon language**

**Chapter 1: Meeting New Friends**

The sun shone brightly as Ash and his friends walked into Lacunosa Town. After weeks of walking through the Twist Mountain Pass, and Iris capturing a powerful Dragonite along the way, the four friends looked forward to taking a day off to rest and relax from their travels. Finding a park to stop and rest, Ash took off his back pack and slumped down on a bench, his Pikachu curling up beside him. Iris let her Axew out of her hair so the little Tusk Pokémon could play in the grass before letting out the rest of her Pokémon, which consisted of an Excadrill, an Emolga and her recent Dragonite. Following her lead, Ash, Dawn and Cilan decided to let out their own Pokémon to enjoy the sun and get some fresh air. As Cilan got out a pot and started getting dinner ready, Ash heard a friendly voice ring out.

"Well, if it isn't Ash Ketchum," the voice said as Ash looked over and saw Alder, champion of the Unova Region. Upon seeing him, Ash got up and shook his hand.

"Hey, Alder. What are you doing out here?" Ash asked.

"I'm here to host the World Tournament Junior Cup. It's going on in a few days," Alder replied. As soon as Alder said "tournament," Ash's inner flame was ignited. If he entered the tournament and won, then he would have more than enough experience before he entered the Unova League.

"You can sign me up, because that tournament's mine," the teenage trainer said excitedly as Alder laughed.

"I thought you'd be into it. I guess I'll see you at the tournament," the champion said before walking away. His inner fire burning with anticipation, Ash turned to face his Pokémon.

"Did you guys hear that? There's gonna be a battle tournament right here in this town! Let's get ready for battle," Ash exclaimed as his Pokémon nodded in agreement, his Krokorok stepping up first, "You want to go first, Krokorok? Alright, let's get started then." But before Ash and Krokorok could begin their training, the two heard another voice come out from behind him.

"Well, well, I never thought I'd get to meet Ash Ketchum in person," the voice said. Ash turned around and saw two trainers, a boy and a girl, that looked a couple years older than him.

"Who are you?" Ash asked as the stranger stepped up to him and extended his hand.

"My name's Mike Roscoe," the trainer replied, "And this is my girlfriend, Vivian Palmer. We're both big fans of yours. We saw every one of your League battles on TV."

"Really?" Ash asked, blushing at the fact that he had a fan.

"Yeah," Vivian replied, "That battle you had against that guy with the Meowth in the Hoenn League was pretty awesome. I never thought that little Scratch Cat Pokémon could be so tough."

"But that couldn't hold a candle to the battle he had against that Darkrai in the Sinnoh League. That Sceptile off his was really something," Mike added.

"But I lost all those battles," Ash said sadly as he remembered all those battles he fought in the previous leagues.

"Hey, we've lost a few battles ourselves," Mike said as he placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, "But the fun thing about losing is that you learn from it so you don't make the same mistake twice. Of course, this is kind of ironic, coming from the guy who's won every Pokémon League and fought a couple champions."

"Where are you from anyway?" Ash asked as Mike withdrew his hand.

"Viridian City, the Kanto region," Mike replied. Ash's eyes widened at this.

"No way! I never thought I'd meet another Kanto trainer out here," Ash stated.

"Well, surprise," Vivian playfully said as Iris and Cilan walked over.

"Hey, Ash," Iris said, "Who's this?"

"My name is Mike Roscoe, and this is my girlfriend, Vivian Palmer," Mike said as he shook Iris' and Cilan's hands.

"Friends of yours, Ash?" Cilan asked as Ash looked over at him.

"Nope, just a couple fans of mine," Ash replied as he bashfully rubbed the back of his head. Just then, Cilan's Pansage scurried over and began tugging on his trainer's leg, frantically chattering to him as if trying to tell him something. When Cilan saw where Pansage was pointing, he immediately got the message.

"Oh, man, dinner is ready," Cilan said as he and Iris went back over the pot he was cooking in. Ash looked back over to Mike and Vivian, his eyes gleaming.

"Do you guys want to join us for dinner?" Ash asked, "I'm planning on entering the tournament taking place in this town, and I could use a sparring partner." Mike's eyes lit up as well.

"What a coincidence," Mike replied, "Vivian and I are also entering the tournament."

"Great, come on," Ash said as the three walked over to Cilan and Iris, who were serving up a bowl of delicious-looking soup. Everyone took a bowl and spoon, served up some soup out of the pot, and sat down. As soon as Vivian took a spoonful of the soup and placed it in her mouth, her eyes widened and her lips curled into a grin.

"This… is the greatest thing I have ever tasted," Vivian said before quickly taking another spoonful as everyone lightly laughed. Before eating, Mike looked over at Ash with a competitive gleam in his eye.

"So, Ash, who are you going to enter in the tournament?" he asked Ash looked over at him.

"I was thinking about entering the Pokémon I already have on me, so they can get some more battling experience for the Unova League," Ash replied. Just then, Ash and the others heard a voice that was all too familiar.

"And with your lame training style, that's all the experience you'll ever get," the person said in a snobby, arrogant tone. Everyone turned around to see a trainer with short blond hair, an orange hoodie, tan jeans, and blue sneakers standing behind them, his sky blue eyes staring down at them. Ash recognized this trainer all too well: his Unova rival, Trip.

"Trip," Ash deadpanned, "Why am I not surprised to see you entering this tournament?"

"Well, I'm just simply using this event as practice for the Unova League, you know, basic stuff," the arrogant trainer replied as he looked over at Mike and Vivian, "New friends of yours?" Mike looked over at Vivian with an agitated look on his face. During their travels, they had seen many different kinds of trainers, but they had seen Trip's type one time too many: an arrogant rookie with a massive ego and a superiority complex. Without even thinking twice, Mike stood up and drew out a Poké Ball.

"Yeah," Mike replied with gritted teeth, "Since you're so keen on practice, why don't you have a little bout with me? One-on-one." Trip cocked his eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders.

"Why not," he cockily responded, "Let's go, Serperior!" He then tossed a Poké Ball into the air, revealing a large, serpentine Pokémon with large red eyes, a white face, and the appearance of wearing a green robe, complete with several small leaves on its tail.

"Whoa, his Servine evolved," Ash said as he took out his Pokédex.

"Serperior, the Regal Pokémon," the machine explained, "This Pokémon possesses a glare that can stop an opponent in their tracks, and can increase the amount of solar energy it absorbs." Mike drew out his own Poké Ball.

"A Serperior, eh?" Mike said, "This should make things interesting." He then tossed the Poké Ball into the air, "You're on, Sceptile!" The Ball opened up, and out came a large green reptilian Pokémon with a red jaw and a stripe on its belly, three yellow nodules on each side of its back, a broad, branchlike tail, and most notable of all, two long, bladelike leaves on each arm, right in front of triple-clawed hands. The cold stare that came from this Pokémon's golden-yellow eyes could make even the bravest man back away in fear, and Serperior felt a slight twinge of intimidation run down his spine. Trip saw this majestic Pokémon and took out his camera.

"Now that is a cool-looking Pokémon," he said as he took a picture of it and drew out his own Pokédex.

"Sceptile, the Forest Pokémon," the Pokédex stated, "This Pokémon possesses unrivaled agility and skill in forest combat. The blades on its arms are strong enough to cut through iron, and its tail is covered in sharp leaves, which deal devastating damage to an opponent."

"So, you're from the Hoenn region?" Trip asked as he put up his Pokédex. Surprisingly, Mike shook his head.

"Nope, I'm from Viridian City, in the Kanto region," Mike replied, causing Trip to scoff and roll his eyes.

"Whatever, I'll move first," Trip said, "Serperior, use Dragon Tail!" With that, Serperior's tail began to glow and became enveloped in blue light that radiated power, and the Regal Pokémon bolted toward Sceptile, who was calmly standing still and awaiting her trainer's orders. Just when Serperior got close enough to strike, Mike spoke.

"Dodge and use Leaf Blade," he said as Sceptile ducked the Regal Pokémon's glowing tail, the leaves on her arms glowing green, and dashed upward, slashing Serperior across the face and sending him sailing backwards.

"No way, how could Sceptile move so quickly? Nothing can best Serperior in speed," a shocked Trip asked, causing Mike to grin.

"Typical tactic for a rookie," Mike huffed, causing Trip to look over from Serperior to him, "Rush in with a powerful move and hope to finish the battle with one strike. I was hoping that such a _skilled trainer_ would be less predictable!" The irritation in Mike's voice caused Trip to flush with embarrassment and anger.

"Fine, see how you like this!" he yelled, "Serperior, use _your_ Leaf Blade!" Serperior's tail began to glow green and the grass serpent proceeded to attack Sceptile, who was again, standing calmly.

"You'll have to be a little more creative than that. Use Detect," Mike instructed as Sceptile's eyes began to glow a light green. The Forest Pokémon then began dodging and weaving past Serperior's attack as though it wasn't at all, which further agitated Trip.

"Serperior, you keep that Leaf Blade going," Trip commanded.

"And you keep up that Detect, Sceptile," Mike calmly responded. Serperior continued to slash in vain at an effortlessly-evasive Sceptile, and soon the Regal Pokémon began to tire, which gave Mike his opening. "Alright Sceptile, strike with Leaf Blade, then finish it off with Iron Tail," the trainer calmly commanded as Sceptile swiped her glowing arm-leaves across Serperior's chest, sending him reeling backward, then leapt into the air. Once in position, Sceptile's tail began to glow until it looked like it was made of steel, then sent it crashing down onto Serperior's head, knocking the snake out cold. Cilan stepped up as the referee.

"Serperior is unable to battle, Sceptile wins!" the chef/Gym Leader exclaimed as he pointed his right arm over at Mike and Sceptile, the former giving his Pokémon a fist-bump in victory. Although he wasn't showing it, Trip was very irritated as he drew his Serperior back into his Poké Ball. Mike then looked over at him.

"Remember this as a good lesson in not underestimating your opponent," Mike said as Trip glared at him, "And remember what your Pokédex said about Sceptile's unrivaled agility." Trip only rolled his eyes in response.

"Whatever, I guess even the hillbillies have to get lucky every now and then," Trip insultingly said as he took a picture of Sceptile and began walking away. However, he didn't notice that Mike was storming over to him.

"What did you just…" he was about to ask in an angry tone when Ash, Iris, Vivian and Dawn held him back by his arms.

"Forget it, Mike," Ash said as he struggled to restrain Mike's arm, "He's not worth it." Mike slowly calmed down and returned to the picnic table. After he sat down, Vivian reassuringly rubbed his back while looking over at Ash.

"What is that guy's problem?" she asked, wanting to know just why Trip treated her boyfriend so rashly.

"Trip has an extreme prejudice against the Kanto region," Ash explained, "He thinks Kanto trainers are worthless hillbillies who need to learn the 'basics of Pokémon training'." This made Mike infuriated once again.

"That's exactly why I dislike rookie trainers," Mike said through gritted teeth, "They're full of themselves. They think they're so awesome just because their Pokémon has reached its final stage, and then they get all cocky because they win a few battles with it. The only satisfaction I get from battling them is showing them that there's always a better trainer." Dawn flinched at the amount of anger in Mike's voice.

"Whoa, calm down," the Sinnoh Coordinator said as Vivian over at her.

"Yeah funny thing about my boyfriend," Vivian said, "when someone pisses him off, he holds a deep grudge against them."

"And with the way Trip just insulted his home region and spoke to him, he has every right to," Dawn replied. Vivian nodded in agreement. Mike spoke up.

"The next time we battle, I'm not holding anything back," he spat.

"You were going easy on him?" Ash asked.

"Yep," Mike replied, "If I really wanted to battle, then Sceptile would've turned Serperior into a purse in two hits."

"Sounds like you're pretty strong, then," Ash said, to which Mike nodded.

"Let's just say that you know you're strong when you can nearly bring down Cynthia," Mike replied, causing Dawn to nearly spit out her water.

"You battled Cynthia?!" Dawn asked, completely flabbergasted about Mike's statement.

"Yeah, and I nearly won, too," Mike stated, "It was a full six-on-six battle. Each of us was on our last Pokémon, me with my Tyranitar and her with her Garchomp. The battle between them was fierce, and lasted quite a long while, but then my Tyranitar managed to knock Garchomp down with an Ice Punch attack. That should've been the finishing move, but I didn't notice that Garchomp quickly recovered. The Mach Pokémon then slipped around Tyranitar and uppercut him with a Dragon Claw attack, sending Tyranitar soaring into a rock and knocking out cold, ensuring Cynthia's victory." Ash and his friends listened to Mike's story with utmost intention, as they were in the presence of a very powerful trainer.

"Too bad that you lost, though," Dawn said.

"Yeah, the loss was a bummer, but Cynthia did give me a consolation prize: the title of 'People's Champion,'" Mike replied, "So I'm a champion, albeit an unofficial champion, but a champion nonetheless." All the while, Ash's Snivy silently walked over to Mike Sceptile, who was calmly leaning against a tree and thinking about her victory over Serperior.

**Yeah, the battle was easy, but that Serperior's trainer is just a horrible person**, Sceptile said to herself in the Pokémon language. Then she suddenly heard another voice right next to her.

"**Tell me about it,"** the other voice said, **"You have no idea how many times I've wanted to slap that punk across his smug little face." **Sceptile looked down and saw Snivy looking up at her, her red eyes burning with kindred.

"**Let me guess, you saw that battle I had earlier?"** Sceptile asked.

"**Yeah, and I really like the way you handled that Serperior. You just took down Trip's most powerful Pokémon like it was nothing,"** Snivy replied, **"I gotta know how you did it. Tell me your secrets." **Sceptile could only chuckle at Snivy's determination. It reminded her of when she was a little Treecko, always eager to meet strong Pokémon and become stronger herself.

"**It was nothing, just a result a hard work and constant training,"** Sceptile responded, **"Besides, I bet that Serperior is his only powerful Pokémon."** With that, the two Grass-Type Pokémon shared a laugh with each other. Their trainers heard the sound of their laugh and looked over.

"What do you know," Mike said with a grin, "Looks like your Snivy's taken quite a liking to Sceptile."

"Yeah, I think Snivy liked the way Sceptile beat Serperior," Ash replied. Watching the two Pokémon interact gave Mike an idea.

"You know, Ash," Mike said, "I can help you with your training. I have a method to getting Pokémon to get stronger and evolve quicker without putting a lot of stress on the Pokémon."

"Really, what is it?" Ash asked eagerly. Mike chuckled lightly.

"Patience, student," he playfully replied, "I'll show you how to do it tomorrow. Meanwhile, Vivian and I have found a place to stay at for the tournament. It's a nice little motel with rooms that can house three people each. We can crash there when we're not participating in the tournament."

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," Cilan agreed, "It's been a while since I've cooked on a stove, too."

"Then it's settled," Dawn said, her Piplup peeping in agreement.

"Come on, we'll show you where it is," Vivian said as she got up from the table. After everyone got everything cleaned and packed up, the group walked through the town until Mike came to a stop in front of a white building.

"This is it," he said as everyone followed him inside. Inside the motel, the reception room had luscious green-and-blue walls and a large red carpet on the floor. Mike told everyone to wait while he got everyone a room. As Mike was making the arrangements, Ash and the others sat down on the couch in the lobby.

"So, Dawn how's that dream of being a Top Coordinator coming along?" Ash asked as Dawn looked over at him.

"It's going great," she responded, "I've already won four ribbons and got some really sweet tricks down."

"Can't wait to see them in the tournament," Ash said.

"Yeah, well I can't wait to beat you in the tournament!" Dawn excitedly said.

"Not if I beat you first!" Ash said with equal determination. Cilan and Vivian looked at each other and laughed lightly. A few minutes later, Mike came back with a set of six room keys in his hand.

"Alright, so Ash, Cilan and I have Room 621 on the fifth floor, and the girls have Room 614 on across the hall," he said as everyone else took a key. Eager to get to their rooms and crash, the six trainers got up and went to the elevator so they could get to the fifth floor to go to their said rooms. After the elevator got to the fifth floor, everyone went down the hall to their respective rooms. Ash, Mike and Cilan went inside and placed their stuff down by the door before going into the main room, which had a couch, a chair and a TV, while there was also a bathroom with a shower, a small kitchen with a fridge, and a bedroom with two beds in it.

"Uh, guys, there's three of us and only two beds," Cilan said, "Where's the one other going to sleep?"

"Not a problem," said Mike, "I can crash on the couch. You and Ash get the beds." After a half-hour of getting settled in, Ash decided to ask Mike about his travels.

"Hey, Mike, how many Pokémon have you captured on your journey?" the teenage Kanto trainer asked. Mike's response was a slightly nervous chuckle.

"Uh, maybe I should let my Pokédex tell you," Mike said as he handed Ash his Pokédex. Once Ash opened it, he went to the Pokémon archive. What he saw gave him quite a surprise.

"584 captured?! How did you manage to get that many Pokémon?" Ash asked as he gave Mike his Pokédex.

"Yeah, that's kind of the side effect of my style of raising Pokémon," Mike responded, "I've also captured a few Legendaries." Upon hearing "Legendaries," Ash and Pikachu both dropped their jaws to the floor.

"Well, Pikachu, looks like we're meeting a really skilled trainer," Ash said as the Electric Mouse Pokémon nodded.

"Hey, enough about me," Mike said as he blushed at Ash's compliment, "We just need to focus on helping you prepare for the tournament, your last Gym badge, and the Unova League. But before we do that, I'm gonna hit the hay. It's been quite the afternoon, and I'm tired." With that, Mike kicked his shoes off and crashed onto the couch.

"Yeah, I'm gonna call it a night, too," Cilan said, Ash nodding in agreement.

"Night, guys," Ash said as he and Pikachu climbed into their bed, eagerly waiting for their special training tomorrow.

…

**Alright, the first chapter of my Pokémon story is now complete. About Mike and Vivian, they're both OC's made by me. Another thing, about Mike's battle with Trip, just me be clear that I absolutely **_**HATE**_** Trip. Seriously, I get that Ash's rivals are supposed to be jerks, but Trip takes it to a completely new level. Let's just say that there'll be more brief battles between the two in the future. As always, read and review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Intensive Training, Day 1**

The next day, Mike and Ash woke up early and headed out to the training field behind the motel. Since it was still early dawn, the field was empty of trainers and their Pokémon, giving the two trainers the whole field all to themselves. Each one took a separate end of the field and drew out a Poké Ball, preparing for a day of hard work.

"Alright, Ash," Mike said as he prepared to toss the ball, "this style of training is rather tricky at first, but it'll eventually settle in as we progress." With that, he threw the Poké Ball into the air, releasing the Sceptile that he defeated Trip with the day before. Smiling, Ash threw his own Poké Ball into the air, which brought out his Snivy. The little Grass Snake Pokémon formed somewhat of a sisterly bond with Sceptile, so she smirked and stared right at the Forest Pokémon, who returned the gesture.

"Okay, Snivy," Ash said confidently, "just because Sceptile is bigger and stronger than you, it doesn't mean that you should be worried." Snivy nodded in agreement and got into a battle position. Sceptile ran forward with a Leaf Blade attack and slashed at Snivy, who blocked the attack with a Leaf Blade of her own. Mike was quite impressed with Snivy's agility and reflexes.

"I must say, Ash, your Snivy has quite impressive reflexes," the trainer said as Sceptile stepped back from Snivy.

"Thanks," Ash replied, "Alright Snivy, use Vine Whip!" Snivy complied, and released two long green vines out from under her yellow "collar" at Sceptile, but to her dismay, Sceptile simply caught the vines in mid-flight, leaving Snivy and her trainer stunned.

"Nice catch, Sceptile," Mike complimented, "Now reel that Snivy in and hit it with ThunderPunch." With that, Sceptile gave a hard tug and sent Snivy sailing toward her as she charged her fist with electric energy. Just as Sceptile was about to strike Snivy, the unexpected happened: Snivy countered with a Leaf Blade attack, causing Sceptile's ThunderPunch to bounce off Snivy's tail and hit its user in the face, causing her to receive damage from her own attack. As Sceptile reeled back from the unexpected counterattack, Snivy landed gracefully on her feet, looked back at Ash and Pikachu, and gave them both a thumb-up and a smile. Mike was very surprised that Snivy was able to react so quickly with a counter to Sceptile's move, and he started to applaud Snivy for her performance.

"I must admit, Ash, your Pokémon have impressive thinking capabilities," Mike said as he kneeled down and petted Snivy's head, "With my help and your creative thinking, you'll be an unstoppable force in battle."

"Thanks," Ash said as Pikachu gave Snivy a high-five, "Let's keep going Snivy." With that, their sparring match resumed. A couple hours later, Snivy and Sceptile were both starting to get tired from their back-and-forth bout against each other. By that time, Dawn, Iris, Vivian and Cilan had come outside to watch the two trainers practice. Cilan was quite impressed with Mike and Sceptile.

"The way those two work in sync with each other, it's a perfect blend of friendship and teamwork with a slight sprinkle of determination," the Connoisseur said as Snivy managed to score a hit on Sceptile with Vine Whip.

"You got that right," Vivian said, "Truth is, you're looking at Mike's most powerful Pokémon from the Hoenn region." Dawn and Iris looked over at her in surprise.

"How long have you two been training Pokémon?" Iris asked.

"Mike's been training for nine years," Vivian replied, "I've been training for only eight years."

"Sounds like you two have done a lot together," Cilan said, causing Vivian to blush slightly.

"Yeah, you might say that," Vivian replied. With that, the four continued to watch Sceptile and Snivy spar against each other. A few minutes later, Mike put up his hand to call a draw.

"Hey Ash, let's take a break," Mike called, "Sceptile and Snivy are starting to get a little tired, so let's give them a few minutes to catch their breath."

"No problem," Ash replied, "All this training has made me hungry anyway." While the Pokémon were resting under a nearby tree, the six friends went inside to get some breakfast.

"**I have to admit,"** Sceptile said to Snivy in the Pokémon language, **"You really know how to hold your own against stronger Pokémon. You're pretty tough, for a first stage."**

"**Thanks," **Snivy replied, **"You're pretty fierce out there yourself. It's no wonder Serperior couldn't even touch you the other day."**

"**Like I said, it was the result of hard work and constant training,"** Sceptile stated, **"That's what we're trying to help you and the other Pokémon on your trainer's team go through to make you all stronger than before."**

"**And I really look forward to evolving with it,"** Snivy said as she got up, **"Wanna go another round before our trainers come back?"** Sceptile simply shrugged and got up.

"**Sure, why not?"** she replied. With that, the Grass-Type Pokémon went back onto the training field and resumed their sparring.

…

Back inside the motel, Ash and the others were sitting around a café table eating breakfast and chatting with each other. Ash looked over at Dawn as she took a sip of her orange juice.

"Hey Dawn, do you think we should let May know about the tournament?" Ash asked, "I think she'd be really excited about it." Dawn thought it over in her head for a moment before answering.

"I think we could, but we'd also have to see if she's not busy preparing for a Contest, though. Last time we chatted, she told me that she finished winning the Johto Grand Festival and that she's trying her luck in the Kanto again," Dawn replied, "But maybe she could be able to come out." With that, Dawn got up and walked over to the video phone on the other side of the room, proceeding to dial May's number.

"Hey Ash, who's May?" Iris asked, curious about one of Ash's past journeys.

"May was one of my traveling companions in the Hoenn region, alongside her little brother Max and my good friend Brock," Ash replied, "She didn't really know what to do when she started her journey, but then she became intrigued with becoming a Pokémon Coordinator, or a Contest trainer." This got Cilan perked up.

"I love watching Pokémon Contests!" Cilan exclaimed as everyone looked at him, "It's an exquisite blend of style and grace while showing off the flavor of the Pokémon's power."

"Does he always talk like that?" Vivian whispered as she leaned over to Iris.

"You get used to it after a while," Iris replied, "So did May win any Contests?"

"It was a little hard for her at first, but then she managed to make a turnaround in the battle round of the contest and defeat her opponent, resulting in her first Contest ribbon," Ash replied, "Contest ribbons are like Gym Badges. If a coordinator wins five of them, then they're qualified to compete in the Grand Festival, which is the Pokémon League for Coordinators. The winner receives the title of Top Coordinator and the Grand Festival trophy." Iris took in everything Ash just said like a sponge takes in water.

"Wow, Contests sound like a lot of fun," the amateur Dragon Master said.

"Oh, they are," Ash replied with a light chuckle, "I've participated in a few of them myself. I made it past the appeal round in all of them, but I lost the battle rounds."

"Maybe I could try my luck at one. I'd like to see how good my Pokémon look in move appeals," Iris said. Just then, Dawn came back over from the phone and sat back down in her chair.

"I got good news, guys," Dawn announced as Ash and the others looked over at her, "May just finished a Contest in Cerulean City and is currently staying with its Gym Leader, Misty." As soon as Ash heard the name "Misty," his stomach suddenly did a backflip. It had been a long time since he last saw Misty in person. Dawn continued with her announcement.

"I told her about the tournament and she seemed pretty stoked about it," she said, "Also, Misty said that she's coming out to Unova as well since she's taking some time off from her job as Gym Leader. They should be able to get here by tomorrow afternoon." This really made Ash nervous. Misty was coming out here? This made him both excited and anxious at the same time. Mike then stood up.

"Hey Ash, let's go back outside and check on our Pokémon," he said as he walked out of the room, Ash following behind him.

…

Back outside on the training field, Sceptile and Snivy were going another training round against each other. Sceptile was rather impressed with Snivy's remarkable agility and persistent personality, while Snivy looked up to seeing Sceptile at her best in strength. Both Grass-Type Pokémon were so focused on their sparring match that they didn't notice their trainers come outside to see them training.

"What do you know?" Ash noted, "It looks like Snivy really wants to try and beat Sceptile, even if it's just training."

"I'd say Snivy just wants to show how competent she is in a battle, even if her opponent stronger than she is," Mike remarked. Just then, the two Pokémon stopped sparring and looked over to see their training. "Don't mind us," Mike said, "You two were doing pretty good out there." Sceptile chuckled as she rubbed her head while Snivy looked over and winked. Just then a group of trainers came running by, one of which was cradling an unconscious Charmeleon in her arms.

"Hey, what happened?" Ash asked as the Charmeleon's trainer looked over at him.

"Charmeleon and I were out training for the tournament, when suddenly this trainer with a powerful-looking Serperior came out and challenged us to a battle. I thought we could take him since I had a Fire-Type, but then they knocked me out with a single hit, then the trainer insulted me and my friends just because we're from the Kanto region," the Charmeleon's trainer explained before running to the Pokémon Center right next to the motel. Ash and Mike both clenched their fists tightly.

"That definitely sounds like Trip," Ash said, "Only someone like him would have the gall to kick someone while they're down just because they're from a different region." Ash then looked over to Snivy. "What do you say, Snivy? Wanna go help me put Trip in his place?" he asked with a look of anticipation on his face. Snivy smirked and nodded, but then she suddenly began to glow blue and was enveloped in blue light. Ash and Mike knew that light all too well: Snivy was evolving. When the light faded, there was, in the place of a Snivy, a majestic Servine. Vivian and the others came outside just as the light faded.

"What do you know?" Iris said, "It looks like Mike's training strategy paid off."

"That's only half-true," Ash retorted, "Trip defeated a bunch of trainers rather brutally, then insulted them just because they're from the Kanto. Snivy was so angered by what that punk did that she started to evolve." Dawn then took out her Pokédex and scanned Servine.

"Servine, the Grass Snake Pokémon and the evolved form of Snivy," the Pokédex examined, "This Pokémon specializes in whipping attacks and hides in the shadows of foliage to escape from enemies. It constantly cleans its leaves so it can photosynthesize." Ash was beaming at the newly-evolved Pokémon, who suddenly leapt up against the side of the building and launched herself off the wall, zooming past a tree and slicing one of the branches clean off. The action happened so quickly that if one blinked, they'd miss it. Mike widened his eyes in surprise.

"Ash, I think your Servine just taught herself Aerial Ace," Mike muttered as Servine landed in front of them. Ash smiled widely as he returned Servine to her Poké Ball.

"Let's do this," the Kanto trainer said as Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder.

…

In the town square, a Pokémon battle ensued. On one side was a trainer with a Weavile and on the other side was Trip and his Serperior. Both sides sent their respective Pokémon forward, and the battle was on.

"Weavile, use Ice Shard!" the trainer called out as Weavile formed a ball of pale blue ice between its clawed hands and sent it flying at Serperior, who took a hit from it to its chest. The Regal Pokémon was sent sliding back a few feet, but seemed to have taken barely any damage. "Great, now go in with Metal Claw!" Weavile dashed forward with glowing metallic claws and tried to slash at Serperior.

"Serperior, dodge and use Dragon Tail," Trip deadpanned as Serperior slipped past the incoming attack and sent Weavile slamming into the ground with a glowing blue tail. When the dust settled, Serperior was standing tall while Weavile was lying on the ground with dazed eyes and no movement, signaling that it was unable to battle. As the trainer recalled his defeated Pokémon and headed to the Pokémon Center, Trip calmly stood there and sighed lightly.

"And another one bites the dust," he said. Then a familiar voice rang out.

"Hey Trip!" the voice of Ash Ketchum called out in a tone more aggressive than usual, "We've got a bone to pick with you." Trip turned around and saw Ash, Mike and the others walk into the courtyard.

"And what is it that I did to tick you guys off?" Trip carelessly asked.

"You act like insulting a Kanto trainer and making her feel terrible about herself was nothing," Mike growled. Trip simply shrugged.

"That's because she and that worthless Pokémon of hers were nothing," Trip steadily replied. This time Ash was the one to lose his cool.

"Why don't we settle this with a battle, punk," he spat, "That way I can show you what a 'hillbilly' is really capable of." With that, Ash threw a Poké Ball into the air, releasing the Servine inside, who then saw the opposing trainer and sneered. Trip simply shrugged and called Serperior forward.

"If humiliating yourself is on your agenda, be my guest," Trip deadpanned, "Serperior, use Energy Ball." Serperior formed a green ball of energy in front of his mouth, which he then fired at Servine.

"Bat it back with Leaf Blade, Servine," Ash commanded, prompting the Grass Snake Pokémon to make the tip of her tail glow green, which she then used as a baseball bat to send the Energy Ball right back at Serperior, who ended up taking it to his face. "Now go in and hit it with another Leaf Blade." While Serperior was still stunned from the hit, Servine rushed forward and hit the Regal Pokémon with another glowing tail, sending Serperior reeling back.

"I admit your Servine's gotten quicker since evolving, but that newfound speed won't do any good when you're knocked out," Trip said as he pointed forward, "Serperior, use Dragon Tail." The Regal Pokémon rushed forward with a glowing blue tail, intent on smashing the Grass Snake Pokémon with a single strike, but then Servine did something that neither of her opponents expected: she slipped past Serperior's attack by twisting her body like a corkscrew, weaving past her opponent's defense and striking him across the face with Vine Whip. As Serperior reeled back again, Trip could only stand there shocked and dazed.

"How did Servine learn to pull off a move like that?!" Trip asked, obviously a little nervous.

"Perfect agility and strike timing, two of the advantages of training under a Sceptile," Ash replied, "Alright Servine, hit it with Leaf Storm." Servine then summoned up a large swirling spiral of leaves and sent it right toward Serperior.

"Serperior, dodge it then use Dragon Tail," Trip called out, the Regal Pokémon moving away from the Leaf Storm and swinging another glowing blue tail at Servine, this time managing to score a hit on Servine, sending her flying into the wall of a nearby building.

"Servine!" Ash cried out as Servine slumped to the ground. Trip just looked to the side without caring that he might have severely injured his rival's Pokémon.

"I guess that's that," Trip deadpanned, but before he could call Serperior back to its ball, everyone heard the sound of Servine groaning. They all looked over and saw Servine slowly but surely pushing herself off the ground and getting back on her feet, her ruby-red eyes burning with an intense passion. Vivian smiled as a small tear formed in the corners of her eyes. This Servine was demonstrating sheer determination and courage, almost like it evolved a will to go on when it evolved itself, and that was a very admirable trait for any Pokémon. Trip quickly took out his camera and snapped a quick picture of Servine. Servine saw Ash smiling with a tear in his eye. Returning the smile, Servine's eyes suddenly glinted, and then her whole body began to radiate a bright green aura. Ash recognized this aura, as his Sceptile had activated it a few times in the past itself: Servine's special ability, Overgrow. Slinking back onto the battlefield, Servine steadied herself and got ready for whatever Serperior had to dish out.

"Alright Trip, now the real battle begins," Ash said, his old confidence coming back to the surface. Trip pointed forward and issued another command.

"Serperior, use Frenzy Plant!" he said, an obvious hint of fear in his voice. Serperior's eyes began to glow green as seven large roots sprang up from the ground and charged at Servine.

"Servine dodge it and use Vine Whip," Ash commanded, Servine complying by swerving sideways and lashing another pair of deadly vines at her opponent, the Overgrow doubling the power of the attack. Then Ash decided to pull off his secret weapon right then and there. "Okay Servine, finish this with a good solid Aerial Ace attack!" Trip widened his eyes in shock.

"Servine can learn _Aerial Ace_?!" he asked, horrified. Servine leapt back from the exhausted Serperior and then launched herself forward at top speed, zooming into Serperior and hitting him with full force. Servine then skidded to a halt with her stubby arms extended as Serperior slumped to the ground defeated, Trip staring in shock and embarrassment.

"Still think that Kanto trainers are worthless?" Ash taunted as Trip recalled Serperior into his Poké Ball. Trip's only response was an ice-cold glare that said "this isn't over" before turning to walk away. Dawn looked over at Vivian.

"Why was Trip leering at Ash like that?" Dawn inquired.

"Because Ash showed him up," replied Vivian, "He showed Trip that Kanto trainers aren't as weak as he thinks." Servine felt someone place a hand on the remnants of her shoulder and looked up, seeing Sceptile kneeling down and looking at her with a wide smile.

"**You've made me proud, my student,"** the Forest Pokémon said as Servine turned around, **"You demonstrated true courage and determination against that Serperior."** Pikachu ran up to Servine and gave her a high-five.

"**You should've seen yourself out there, you were amazing!"** the Electric Mouse Pokémon exclaimed as he hugged Servine.

"**Oh, come on, Pikachu, you're making me blush,"** Servine said as her cheeks began turning a slight pink. Ash walked over to Servine and petted the side of her head.

"Great job out there, Servine," the teenage trainer said, "You've made me extremely proud to be your trainer." With that, Ash recalled Servine into her Poké Ball and rejoined the others, Pikachu and Sceptile following him. When Ash and the others began to walk off, they suddenly heard the sound of someone applauding behind them.

"Nicely done, Ash," a woman's voice echoed out as the group of trainers turned around. The person they were looking at was none other than Cynthia, champion of the Sinnoh region.

"Cynthia?" Ash asked in a surprised voice, "I didn't know you were participating in the tournament, too."

"I'm simply one of the introductory battlers to announce the tournament's beginning," Cynthia replied, "I saw that battle you just finished. I have to say, your Servine is quite the determined little fighter."

"Yeah, and she just evolved today," Ash replied, "And I have my new friend to thank for it." Ash pointed over to Mike as the other Kanto trainer walked over. Cynthia smirked and put her hands on her hips.

"It's been a while, Mike," she playfully remarked, "Gotten stronger since our last battle?"

"You know me, Cynthia," Mike replied as he drew out a Poké Ball, "I'm always open for a rematch." Cynthia chuckled lightly.

"Then you'll have to wait until after the tournament," she said as the same group of trainers Ash and the others saw before walked over. The girl with the Charmeleon walked over to Ash with a wide smile.

"That was incredible," she said as she shook Ash's hand in gratitude, "Are you from this region?"  
"Nope," was Ash's reply, "I'm from the Kanto like you and your friends."

"Really? Wow," the girl replied, "I'm Kate. These are my friends and teammates, Jim, Diana and Logan."

"I guess you and your friends are entering the tournament this week?" Cynthia asked. The four trainers looked at her in awe.

"Yes we are," Jim said in a confident voice, making Cynthia grin.

"Well, I better get going," the champion said as she turned around, "I have an opening battle to train for." After everyone finished meeting with each other, Ash and his friends went back to the motel to celebrate their victory with a delicious dinner cooked up by Cilan.

…

**Well, that's a wrap on the first day of Ash's new training style from Mike. I made Snivy evolve into a Servine and defeat Trip's Serperior in a heated battle based on the same conflict between Pikachu and Raichu, where it's a "clash of the evolved forms." I also taught Servine Aerial Ace because I wanted to make her seem like she's changing her battling style through evolving. Where she wanted to defeat her opponents through painful seduction as a Snivy, now she fights them with grace, agility and a slight dose of strength, like a Tai Chi master. As always, leave positive feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Intensive Training, Day 2**

The following day followed the same routine for Ash and Mike's training sessions, with an early rise followed by a training battle between two of each trainers' Pokémon, this time Ash's Boldore against Mike's Regirock. The two Rock-type Pokémon were going as hard as they could against each other, but Boldore looked like it was beginning to tire.

"Boldore, use Rock Smash!" Ash commanded as the Ore Pokémon raised one of its front legs, which started to glow orange, and leapt straight at Regirock, who simply stood there awaiting its trainer's command. Just before Boldore struck, Mike spoke up.

"Regirock, use Rock Slide," Mike commanded as the Rock Peak Pokémon raised its arms into the air. An instant later, a slew of boulders began tumbling down in front of Boldore, causing the Ore Pokémon to stumble out of balance and fall onto its face. "You see, Ash," Mike instructed, "the trick with using Rock-type Pokémon is to utilize a strong defense at the same time as using an offense. Their bodies are like tanks, meaning they can take as much punishment as they can dish out." Once Boldore got back up, Regirock got into another battle position. "Try it. Regirock, use Fire Punch!" The Rock Peak Pokémon's right hand became cloaked in bright orange flames as it charged at Boldore. Ash reacted instantly.

"Boldore, use Stone Edge to shield yourself!" the teenage Kanto trainer cried out as Boldore created a veil of sharp-edged stones around its body as rotating shield. Once Regirock got close enough, Boldore released the stones like shrapnel, sending them flying in all directions and leaving the Rock Peak Pokémon stunned. "Now use Rock Smash!" Boldore's front leg began to glow orange again as it leapt up and scored a direct hit to its opponent's chest, causing Regirock to crash into the ground. When the dust settled, both Pokémon stood erect but exhausted. After a few moments of silence, Mike started clapping.

"I'm quite surprised, Ash," Mike said as he returned Regirock into its Poké Ball, "You're learning rather quickly. Soon enough, you might win this tournament, and maybe the Unova League, in no time." Just then, Vivian and the others came out to the training field.

"Hey, Mike," Vivian called, "Why don't you and I have a battle ourselves, so Ash can see how exactly your 'tactics' pay off." With that, Vivian drew out a Poké Ball of her own. Mike grinned happily.

"Whatever you say, honey," he replied as he drew out another Poké Ball from his belt, "Let's go, Torterra!" The creature released from the ball was a large, tortoise-like creature, with what appeared to be grass, a tree and even three small boulders on its back. Iris and Cilan stared in amazement at the massive Grass-type Pokémon as it prepared for battle. Vivian threw her own Poké Ball in the air.

"I choose Venusaur!" she cried as a large Pokémon, almost the same size as Torterra, was set out onto the field. This Pokémon had teal-colored skin, with broad, fernlike leaves and a large pink flower on its back, as well as red eyes and six small fangs protruding from its mouth. Cilan's eyes gleamed as he saw the enormous Grass-type Pokémon size up its opponent.

"This should be an exquisite battle between two powerful Grass-type Pokémon," the Connoisseur stated, his Pansage chattering in agreement. Dawn stepped up as the referee of the battle.

"This battle will be a one-on-one battle," the Coordinator said as she raised her left arm, "Ready, begin!" Vivian made the first move.

"Use Petal Dance, Venusaur!" she called out, Venusaur's flower ruffling and releasing a slew of flower petals at Torterra.

"Counter with Leaf Storm, Torterra!" Mike commanded, Torterra responding by ruffling the leaves in the tree on its back, which began to glow green, and then releasing a whirlwind of glowing leaves at the incoming Petal Dance. The two attacks collided in mid-air and began to struggle back and forth against each other before dissipating.

"Looks like they're both evenly matched," Iris said.

"Yeah, Vivian sure raised that Venusaur of hers well," Ash replied as he eyed the Seed Pokémon as it stood awaiting its trainer's orders.

"Use Double-Edge, Venusaur," Vivian called, the Seed Pokémon barreling toward Torterra at top speed, slamming into the Continent Pokémon full force. Torterra slid back a few feet, but Venusaur, who had taken recoil damage from the hit, was standing in a daze, giving Mike his opening.

"Strike back with Energy Ball, Torterra!" Mike said. Torterra opened its mouth and released a green sphere of energy at Venusaur, hitting the Grass-type Pokémon and sending it back. "Now use Iron Head!" In response, the green patch on Torterra's head began to glow a silvery grey color as the Continent Pokémon began to make its own charge, slamming into Venusaur. Unknown to Mike, this was what Vivian wanted.

"We were about to go over and attack, but thanks for saving us all the trouble," she taunted, "Use Giga Drain!" With that, three glowing sprouted from the center of Venusaur's flower and latched onto Torterra, the Continent Pokémon struggling to get away as its energy was being drained away. Mike had to come up with something fast.

"Use Earthquake to throw Venusaur off-balance!" Mike cried. Torterra reared up on its hind legs, and then slammed its front legs down into the ground as hard as it possibly could. The resulting tremor not only shook the field, but the entire surrounding area as well.

"Wow, that Earthquake was so powerful, I could feel it all the way from here," Iris said as she and her Axew struggled to maintain their balance, with Ash, Pikachu, Cilan, Pansage, Dawn and Piplup doing the same.

"This battle sure is getting tense, buddy," Ash said as he looked over at Pikachu, who was keeping a tight grip on his arm just to keep its balance.

…

Trip was sitting down on a park bench looking at pictures that he took on his camera. He had felt humiliated after all those victories against the other trainers in the city, only to be showed up by two trainers who weren't even from his home region. He looked at one of the pictures he took of the battle he had against Mike and his Sceptile, and analyzed the way the Forest Pokémon ducked and weaved around his Serperior, like a figure skater in an ice arena.

_How can a Pokémon like this one be so agile and not have a serpentine build?_ The trainer thought as he put up his camera and proceeded to get up off the bench. Just as he was about to pick up his backpack and go to the stadium to train, he suddenly felt a sharp tremor to nearly knocked him off his feet. Trip shakily rose to his feet and looked in the direction the shake came from. This part of the Unova region rarely, if at all, endured natural earthquakes, so he could only come to one logical conclusion.

"There must be a battle going on around here," he said to himself as he picked up his bag and walked off in the direction of the shake, "Whoever just gave off an attack like that must have a pretty strong Pokémon."

…

Back at the training fields, the battle continued to rage on. Both Venusaur and Torterra were evenly matched, countering blow for blow, as the two botanical titans continued to clash. As Venusaur was struck by another Energy Ball attack, the Seed Pokémon turned to the side, exposing its weak spot: its flank. Venusaur's side was unprotected, like a big bull's-eye that said "strike here," and Mike took his opportunity to attack.

"Use Iron Head, Torterra!" Mike called as Torterra's head began to gleam like metal again. Just as the Continent Pokémon began to charge at Venusaur, however, the Seed Pokémon managed to turn around.

"Use Double-Edge to counter, Venusaur!" Vivian cried, prompting Venusaur to barrel toward Torterra at top speed once again, slamming into the Iron Head attack with its own move. As everyone watched the two Pokémon continue their power struggle, no one noticed that their battle had attracted an unintentional audience member. Trip was standing under a tree outside the field, watching the battle with keen interest. Taking the opportunity to scan a new Pokémon, Trip quickly took out his camera and his Pokédex. The first Pokémon he pointed it at was Torterra, who he took a picture of as it collided with Venusaur once again.

"Torterra, the Continent Pokémon," the device said, "Small Pokémon will often gather to build nests on this Pokémon's back, and they are aptly nicknamed 'The Wandering Forest.'" Trip then took a picture of Venusaur and scanned it with his Pokédex. "Venusaur, the Seed Pokémon, and the evolved form of Ivysaur," the machine explained, "It is said that the aroma given off from this Pokémon's flower can calm rage and settle conflict." Trip closed his Pokédex and looked over at the two Grass-type Pokémon, just in time to see Torterra bowl over Venusaur with a Leaf Storm Attack.

"Nice job, Torterra," the Torterra's trainer cried out. Trip recognized that voice.

"Not him again," he whispered as he looked over and saw Mike standing behind the Continent Pokémon, "Where does this guy keep getting all these insanely powerful Pokémon?" Deciding to do a little research on the two Pokémon he had seen, Trip turned around and headed to the Pokémon Center.

"Use Iron Head one more time, Torterra," Mike commanded as Torterra's head began to gleam metallically again, the Continent Pokémon proceeding to make another charge at Venusaur. As Torterra barreled toward Venusaur, its trainer gave off a surprise command.

"Use Frenzy Plant, Venusaur!" Vivian called out as Venusaur's body was shrouded in a green aura. Mike's eyes widened in fear as he knew what would happen next.

"Get out of there, Torterra, quick!" Mike called, but it was too late. Venusaur slammed its front legs onto the ground, causing six large, spiked roots to rise up from the ground and slam onto Torterra. When the dust settled, everyone could see Torterra pinned to the ground by the vines, knocked out cold.

"Torterra is unable to battle," Dawn declared as she gestured over to Venusaur, "Victory goes to Vivian and Venusaur." Mike returned Torterra to its Poké Ball as everyone walked over to his girlfriend and her victorious Pokémon. Ash reached out and stroked Venusaur's body.

"I gotta say," Ash said as he looked over at Vivian, "You did a nice job raising this Venusaur." Vivian smiled and returned Venusaur to its Poké Ball.

"I should've," she replied, "That Venusaur is my starter Pokémon." Mike walked over to the others with Torterra's Poké Ball in his hand.

"Hey guys, let's head over to the Pokémon Center," Mike suggested, "Torterra needs a patch-up and I feel like switching a few Pokémon." As everyone prepared to head out, Dawn suddenly heard a buzzing noise in her bag. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small white cell phone.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up," Dawn said as she answered her phone. The others turned and headed toward the Pokémon Center. Once entering the building, Mike and Vivian handed in their respective Poké Balls to Nurse Joy, the former then walking over to the video phones on the other side of the room to make a call to Professor Oak. While the two Pokémon were being patched up, Ash and the others, minus Mike, all sat down around one of the coffee tables in the center of the waiting room.

"So Vivian, how did you and Mike meet up?" Ash asked. Vivian looked over at her fellow Kanto trainer with a grin.

"It all started when I first began my journey," she replied, "I had just gotten my second Gym Badge and my Sandshrew just evolved into a Sandslash in a battle with another trainer's Parasect. I was about to enter Vermillion City when I was challenged to a battle by a boy with a Slowbro at his side. I had never seen a Slowbro in person, so naturally I couldn't resist the urge to battle."

"And I guess everything went downhill from there," Iris said.

"Yeah," Vivian replied, "I knew Slowbro was a Water-type, so I sent out my Ivysaur to battle it. I thought I was doing well in the battle, but then Mike pulled out a deadly surprise: his Slowbro knew Flamethrower." This caused Iris to widen her eyes in response. Cilan placed a hand on his chin.

"Looks like Mike knew that you would use a Pokémon with a type advantage against his own, so he taught it a move to counter it," the Connoisseur stated, prompting Vivian to nod.

"Yeah, because soon after Slowbro hit Ivysaur with a Flamethrower, it finished the job with a Psychic attack," Vivian said, "After I sadly recalled Ivysaur to its Poké Ball, Mike gave me his name and that I had just battled one of his Pokémon League winners. I was so surprised by this that I was lost for words. Afterwards, he accompanied me to Vermillion City, where he explained to me his strategy for winning the Pokémon League. At the time, I was always eager to get help from anyone, so I asked him to help me on my journey. With his training, I dominated the battle against Lt. Surge, earning my third Gym Badge and my Ivysaur learning Petal Dance in the final battle against his Electabuzz."

"Sounds like you two made quite a team," Ash said as his Pikachu climbed onto his head.

"Yeah, we sure were," everyone heard Mike say as they saw him walk over, "I taught her everything I learned, and she even taught me a few things. We were really tight since then. I even helped her win the Kanto League with my training." Just then, Dawn walked into the Pokémon Center, her Piplup waddling in behind her.

"Hey guys, I just got off the phone with May and Misty," the Coordinator said as she joined her friends, "Their ship just landed in Castelia City and their train should get here in about four hours. They also said they brought a few friends along with them."

"Really? Who'd they bring?" Ash asked.

"I asked, but Misty said it was going to be a surprise," Dawn replied. As soon as she finished talking, Mike stood up.

"Hey Ash," he said, "If you have any Fighting-type Pokémon on your team, we can go for another training session. I just swapped in a Pokémon I think you'll enjoy training against." Eager to prepare for the tournament and receive more tips, Ash immediately rose up.

"I've got a Pignite that I can use against your Pokémon," the teenage trainer said as he drew out a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Perfect," Mike said, "Let's get going." The two trainers exited the Pokémon Center and left for thee training field, but little did they know that someone was following them. Trip silently followed the two trainers as they entered the training fields.

_As soon as I know what you're truly capable of, you're going down_, the rookie thought as sat down on a bench outside of the fields. In the training field itself, both Kanto trainers stood at opposite ends, Poké Balls at the ready.

"Let's go, Pignite!" Ash called out as he threw the ball into the air, releasing the Fire Pig Pokémon inside, which assumed a battle pose. Mike smiled as he drew out his own Poké Ball.

"Let's do this, Hariyama," he said as his Pokémon, which had a large, hulking body with large three-fingered hands on each arm. Pignite shrank back in intimidation, as he had never seen a Pokémon as large as the one standing in front of him. Across the field, Trip was equally surprised, taking a snapshot of the Arm Thrust Pokémon and scanning the colossal Fighting-type with his Pokédex.

"Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokémon," the machine said, "Hariyama's body is comprised almost entirely of muscle, which can become rock hard when tensed, and its arms are strong enough to stop a moving train with a single thrust."

"This ought to be good," Trip muttered as Hariyama awaited its trainer's orders.

"Use Flamethrower, Pignite," Ash commanded as Pignite spewed a stream of scorching flames from its nostrils, which hit Hariyama square in the chest, but to Ash's surprise, the Pokémon didn't even flinch at the impact.

"Nice try, Ash," Mike said, "But my Hariyama's special ability is Thick Fat. Fire attacks do almost no damage at all. Go over there and use Focus Punch!" With that, Hariyama's fist began to glow white as the Arm Thrust Pokémon charged over at Pignite, preparing to clock its opponent.

"Dodge it and use Tackle!" Ash called as Pignite slipped past the attack and charged at Hariyama, hitting the Fighting-type once again, but once again, Hariyama didn't even move. Mike smiled at Ash's mistake.

"You have a lot to learn about Fighting-types, Ash," Mike said, "Use Arm Thrust, Hariyama." Upon command, Hariyama began to thrust out its arms as fast and hard as it could, hitting Pignite with enough force to knock over a tree upon each strike. When Hariyama finished attacking, Pignite was struggling to stand up. "You see, Ash, the trick with using Fighting-type Pokémon is to utilize your own strength and energy while trying to get your opponent to spend all of theirs at the same time." Just then, Pignite suddenly dashed toward Hariyama and began hitting it with a series of punches, causing Hariyama to actually flinch. Mike cocked an eyebrow. "I think your Pignite is trying to learn Arm Thrust," he said, "Looks like Hariyama gave it some battle inspiration." As soon as Pignite finished its "attack," it suddenly collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Hariyama quickly knelt down and helped its sparring partner get back on its feet.

"**You certainly have an admirable spirit, Pignite,**" Hariyama said as Pignite slowly regained his footing, "**But if you are to be a powerful Fighting-type like myself, you must first learn basic Fighting-type attacks, such as that Arm Thrust you attempted to use on me a moment ago.**"

"Hey Mike, it looks like Hariyama is trying to talk with Pignite," Ash said as the two Fighting-types began to do some exercises together.

"My Hariyama has a high sense of honor, and won't attack an unready opponent," Mike responded, "It only battles opponents it deems worth the time, so by taking your Pignite under its wing, Hariyama hopes to hone its skills so it can get a better fight in the future." At the other side of the park, Trip got up and walked away from his observance place and headed off elsewhere.

…

"**The key to throwing a good Arm Thrust attack is a combination of strength and drive,**" Hariyama explained as he and Pignite stood at the center of the battlefield. Both their trainers had already gone back to the Pokémon Center, so Mike had let both Fighting-type Pokémon stay behind at the field to continue their training.

"**Strength and drive, got it,**" Pignite replied, "**Why both at once?**"

"**Because if you wish to hit something hard enough, you must first motivate yourself enough,**" Hariyama answered, "**Observe.**" With that, Hariyama turned to the side, tensed his body, and shot his right arm out as hard as he could, creating a jet of wind in the process. "**Now you give it a try.**" Pignite tensed up just like how Hariyama showed him, and then he stepped forward and thrust out his right arm as hard as he possibly could, but unlike Hariyama, the best he got from it was only a small puff of air.

"**Great,**" Pignite sighed, "**With a pathetic attempt at attacking like that, I'll be the worst Fighting-type in the world.**" Hariyama approached his student and placed a hand on his shoulder with surprising gentleness.

"**I understand your stress, Pignite,**" the Arm Thrust Pokémon said as Pignite looked up at him, "**But training such as this requires patience and concentration. Once you've mastered those two, you can then begin to focus on learning new Fighting-type attacks.**" Pignite was so moved by Hariyama's words that he immediately rose up and, after taking a deep breath, began to take another attempt at performing an Arm Thrust attack.

…

Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash and the others were anxiously awaiting the arrival of May and Misty. Their train had arrived and they and the others would any minute, and Ash just couldn't wait to see his old friends again, his Pikachu being equally as excited. Just as Ash turned around to talk to Mike, everyone suddenly heard the doors of the Pokémon Center opened. They all turned to see a girl with long brown hair worn in down-facing pigtails, and another girl with short red hair tied in a side ponytail. Pikachu's eyes gleamed as he saw them, and he was off like a little yellow bullet, jumping into the redhead's arms.

"Hey Pikachu," Misty happily said as she scooped up the Mouse Pokémon and stroked the fur on his head. Ash ran over to Misty as she put him down. The Cerulean City gym leader took one look at the teenage trainer before grabbing him in what may have been the tightest hug in his life. Even though Ash was having the life squeezed out of him, he couldn't help but return the hug.

"Hey Misty, it's been a long time," he said as Misty released him.

"Too long, Ash," she said as she poked him on his chest, "You couldn't have sent a letter or something to let me know you're still out there?" Ash blushed and rubbed his hand along the back of his head.

"Sorry Mist, but I guess I forgot, seeing how busy I've been with both the Sinnoh and Unova regions," the Kanto trainer replied. Just then, Ash heard another voice.

"Looks like Misty's temper hasn't changed a bit, hasn't it?" Ash looked over Misty's shoulder to see another trainer with spiky dark brown hair and tan skin.

"Brock?" Ash gleefully asked as he approached his friend and shook his hand.

"Hey Ash, long time," Brock said as he let go of Ash's hand. Just then, two other trainers entered the Pokémon Center. One wore a an indigo jacket, blue jeans and violet sneakers, with hair the same shade of violet, and the other was shorter and wore a green T-shirt, black shorts, green shoes and a pair of black glasses.

"Hey Ash, nice to see you again," the younger trainer said as he rushed forward and gave Ash a high-five.

"Hey Max," Ash replied, "So have you started your Pokémon journey yet?" Max nodded.

"Yeah, and I even entered the Hoenn League," the young trainer replied, "But I lost in the second round of the main tournament." Ash knelt down and placed a hand on Max's shoulder.

"Well keep your chin up, man," Ash said reassuringly, "That's a pretty big achievement for a first-timer."

"And he's a pretty decent battler, too," the other trainer said as Ash looked up.

"Hey Paul, long time, no see," he said as the two trainers shook hands, "How'd it go with the Battle Frontier?"

"Well, it was pretty easy at first," Paul replied, "But then after I beat Lucy, things began to get tougher. I had to battle Spencer twice for the Spirit Symbol, and Annabel's psychic connection with her Pokémon was quite a pain, but I still managed to win the Ability Symbol."

"And I bet Brandon was the real challenge," Ash said.

"That he was," Paul answered, "We had a full six-on-six battle. His Ninjask, Dusclops and Solrock were easy, but then when he brought out his real heavy hitters, that was when the balance of power began to shift in his favor."

"Brandon got a new team of Legendary Golems?" Ash asked.

"What do you mean by 'a new team'?" Paul asked back.

"When this Pokémon Hunter named J tried to awaken and capture a Regigigas, the Pokémon went on a rampage and began destroying everything in sight. Brandon tried and failed to catch it, so he had to release his three Legendary Golems to protect Regigigas after they defeated it," Ash explained. Mike stepped over to Ash.

"Hey Ash, let's go see how Hariyama and Pignite are doing with their 'special training'," Mike said before looking at his friends, "You guys can come with us, if you want. A friend of Ash's is a friend of mine." Just then, Nurse Joy walked up to the counter with two Poké Balls on a tray.

"Mike, Vivian," the nurse called out, "I'm all finished taking care of your Pokémon, so now you can come pick them up." Vivian walked over and picked up the two capsules, tossing Torterra's ball over to Mike.

"Thanks, Vivian," Mike said as everyone walked out of the Pokémon Center and back to the training fields.

…

"**You are making excellent progress, Pignite,**" Hariyama said as Pignite tried yet another Arm Thrust attack. Taking a moment to stop for a breather, Pignite looked over and saw Ash and Mike, along with the other trainers and some new faces walking over to the fields.

"**Hey Hariyama,**" Pignite said, "**Our trainers are back, and it looks like they brought some friends along with them.**" The Arm Thrust Pokémon looked over and saw that Mike indeed was returning with other trainers at his side.

"**This is an excellent opportunity to show our trainers and their friends what you have learned, my student,**" Hariyama said as Pignite walked over to him. Ash and Mike approached their respective Pokémon.

"Hey Hariyama, have you shown Pignite how to use Arm Thrust properly?" Mike asked. The Arm Thrust Pokémon nodded in response. "Then why don't we show our friends." With that, Ash and Pignite stepped over to one side of the battlefield. Before Mike could call out one of his Pokémon, Paul drew out a Poké Ball and stepped on the other side of the field.

"I'll battle Ash's Pokémon, mainly for old time's sake," the Sinnoh trainer said with a grin, "Let's go, Ursaring!" With that, Paul tossed the ball into the air, releasing a large, brown bearlike Pokémon with a large yellow ring on its belly onto the battlefield.

"I'll move first," Ash said, "Use Flame Charge, Pignite!" Upon command, Pignite stomped on the ground repeatedly and coated itself in flames before charging at the Hibernator Pokémon.

"Counter with Slash, Ursaring!" Paul commanded, as Ursaring made its claws glow white and ran forward. The Normal-type brought its claws down on Pignite's attack, causing both Pokémon to be locked in a power struggle. After a moment of struggling, Pignite managed to muscle through Ursaring's defenses and ram into its opponent, causing Ursaring to stumble backward.

"Now use Arm Thrust!" Ash called. Pignite ran forward to its opponent and began to pummel Ursaring with a flurry of open-palmed jabs, each one capable of knocking the breath clean out of a person with a single hit. Mike watched this and smiled.

"Looks like Hariyama's training paid off," Mike said as Pignite finished pounding on Ursaring and leapt back away from the Hibernator Pokémon, who was struggling to keep its balance.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

"Part of my training style includes letting the Pokémon train with each other by themselves with no human command," Mike answered as Ursaring managed to score a hit on Pignite with a slash attack, "It allows them to build their own strength and boost their own self-confidence without anyone else telling it how to do so."

"Wow, you really know your way around Pokémon, Mike," Max said as he looked up at the champion.

"Use Hammer Arm, Ursaring!" Paul called out as Ursaring's arms began to glow white and it charged at Pignite.

"Dodge it and use Fire Pledge," Ash said as Pignite dashed aside from the attack and slammed its right hand into the ground, causing massive pillars of fire to surround Ursaring, enveloping the Normal-type in flames and causing a massive fire-burst, resulting in massive damage dealt to Ursaring and the Hibernator Pokémon to be knocked out cold.

"Ursaring is unable to battle," Brock called out as the ref, "Pignite wins the match." As Paul returned Ursaring to its Poké Ball, Pignite ran over to its trainer and hugged him tightly before giving Pikachu a high-five.

"**Looks like training with Hariyama was a really big help, Pignite,**" Pikachu said, "**You should be proud of yourself.**"

"**Thanks Pikachu, but I'd really rather not take any praise,**" Pignite said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"**He is correct, Pignite,**" Hariyama said as he approached his pupil, "**You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments today. Not only have you mastered a new attack, but you also used it to help you triumph in battle. That is a goal every Fighting-type Pokémon must strive for: to learn everything they can and apply it to combat.**" Pignite smiled.

"**Thanks Hariyama,**" Pignite said as he threw his arms as best he could around the Arm Thrust Pokémon's massive girth in a grateful hug. Misty walked over to Ash with a smile on her face.

"I see your skills in training haven't faded over the years," she playfully said as she nudged him with her elbow, "I may have to challenge you to a rematch sometime." As Ash blushed and looked away whistling quietly, he saw a familiar face walking over to the group. Ash scowled as Trip approached him and his friends. Mike saw his approach as well.

"What's the matter, champ?" Ash tauntingly asked, "Didn't get enough last time?" Completely ignoring Ash, Trip reached down to his belt and drew out a Poké Ball.

"I saw your training bouts with Ash today," Trip deadpanned, "I saw how tough your Pokémon were, especially that one over there." He then pointed at Hariyama. "I thought you'd like to have a battle with a _real_ Fighting-type." With that, Trip tossed the ball into the air, releasing a large, brown, hunchbacked Pokémon with large, muscular arms, stubby legs, and dark rings around its eyes. Mike cocked an eyebrow.

"A Conkeldurr, huh?" Mike asked, "Alright then. Let's go, Hariyama." With that, both trainers and their respective Fighting-types took different sides of the field and Brock stepped up as the ref once again.

"This will be a one-on-one battle," the Pokémon doctor explained, "Each trainer will use one Pokémon each, and the battle is over when either Pokémon is unable to continue. Begin!"

"Use Stone Edge, Conkeldurr!" Trip called out as the Muscular Pokémon created a swirling ring of stones around itself before launching them at Hariyama.

"So cool," Max muttered as he scanned Conkeldurr with his Pokédex.

"Conkeldurr, the Muscular Pokémon," the Pokédex said, "Conkeldurr is believed to have first taught humans how to make concrete, and it often uses concrete pillars as canes to support its large upper body."

"Block it with Arm Thrust," Mike calmly said as Hariyama thrust both hands back and forth to block the incoming projectiles.

"Go in with DynamicPunch," Trip commanded, prompting Conkeldurr to make its fist glow orange and barrel toward Hariyama as fast as its short legs could carry it. At the last second, Mike gave his order.

"Slip beneath the attack and strike with Focus Punch," Mike said with a smile. Hariyama's massive fist began to glow white, and just as Conkeldurr threw its punch, Hariyama sidestepped the attack and punch Conkeldurr in the gut with everything it had as well as lifting Conkeldurr off its feet. Hariyama then raised Conkeldurr up over its head, turned around, and slammed the Fighting-type into the ground like a hammer would a railway spike. When the dust settled, everyone looked over to see Hariyama standing confidently… and Conkeldurr lying unconscious at his feet.

"Conkeldurr is unable to battle," Brock stated, "Hariyama's the winner." Trip angrily called Conkeldurr back to its Poké Ball and leered at the Pokémon that crushed his second-strongest Pokémon in a single move.

"How did Hariyama do that?" Trip asked as Mike and Hariyama looked over at him.

"You mean KO Conkeldurr with one hit?" Mike answered, "All it took was the right timing and analysis of our opponent. I have a Conkeldurr myself, so I know their strengths and weaknesses inside out. Their stumpy legs make for poor maneuverability, and if they miss an attack with those big arms, they're left wide open for a counterattack. Plus, Hariyama is a lot more agile than it looks, and it's one of the most powerful Fighting-types in the world." Trip simply shrugged and turned around.

"I'll see you in the tournament," Trip said before walking off. Max and Misty glared at Trip until he was out of sight.

"What is with that guy? He acts like he's the next Professor Oak," Misty said.

"Trip is just a rookie with a huge ego and thinks he has what it takes to become champion," Mike explained.

"He also has an extreme prejudice against the Kanto region," Ash said, "He keeps calling me, Vivian and Mike hillbillies just because we're from Kanto."

"Yeah, I'm still gonna cream him in the tournament," Mike said through gritted teeth. Paul didn't like this trainer either. After hearing this guy talk and the way he treated Ash and his friends, it reminded him of how he used to treat Ash when they used to be rivals in the Sinnoh region.

"Not if I destroy him first," Paul said with a clenched fist, "Someone here needs to put that punk rookie in his place."

"Mike and I tried that twice," Ash said, "First Mike, then me. It seems that this guy just doesn't seem to learn." Brock placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Ash," he said, "I'm sure he will someday. In the meantime, let's go back to the motel for dinner." Iris' eyes lit up like stars.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," the Dragon Master-in-training said, "Besides, Dawn and May keep telling me that Brock is just as good a cook as Cilan."

"In that case, let's get cooking, fellow chef," Cilan said as he and Brock both began to head back to the motel, the others struggling to keep up.

…

**Day 2 of Ash and Mike's training sessions finished. Since I was bringing May and Misty into the story, I thought I'd bring a few other characters back as well, and Max is officially a Pokémon trainer. Yay! The interactions between Hariyama and Pignite were based on Obi-wan Kenobi giving Luke Skywalker basic Force training. Also, the more the two interact, the stronger Pignite will become. Next chapter, Vivian will join in on the training sessions and give Ash some tips from her training style as well, and Misty will show Trip just how strong a Kanto Gym Leader can really be. As always, read, enjoy, and review.**


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